Printing presses with added color couples



Nov. 19, 1957 A. DRESSEL ETAL 2,313,713

PRINTING PRESSES WITH ADDED COLOR COUPLES Filed Oct. 27. 1953 8Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Arthur Dresse/ 8:

y Emory W. Worthington ATTORNEYS Nov. 19, 1957 A. DRESSEL ETAL PRINTINGPRESSES WITHADDED COLOR COUPLES Filed 001:. 27. 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 3wvsrvrons Arthur Dressel 8.:

Emory W. Worfhingfon ATTORNE YS Nov. 19, 1957 A. DRESSEL EI'AL PRINTINGPRESSES WITH ADDED COLOR COUPLES Filed Oct. 27, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 4wvzurons Arthur Dressel 8 Emory W. Worthington ATTO NEYS Nov. 19, 1957A. DRESSEL ElAL 2,813,713

PRINTING PRESSES WITH ADDED COLOR COUPLES Filed Oct. 27. 1953 8Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Arthur Dressel & Emory W Worthington BY ZATTOENEYS Nov. 19, 1957 A. DRESSEL ETAL PRINTING PRESSES WITH ADDEDCOLOR COUPLES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 2'7. 1953 INVENTORS ArthurDressel 8 Emory W. Worthington Y ATTORNEYS Nov. 19, 1957 A. DRESSELET'AL PRINTING PRESSES WITH ADDED COLOR COUPLES Filed 001:. 27. 1953 8Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTORS Dressel 8 Arthur I EmOry W. Worfhingfon Y r 7'ATTORNEYS Nov. 19, 1957 A. DRESSEL EI'AL PRINTING PRESSES WITH ADDEDCOLOR COUPLES Filed Oct. 27. 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS ArthurDressel 8 Emofy W Worthington ATTORNEYS United States atet 2,813,713Patented Nov. 19, 1957 PRINTING PRESSES WITH ADDED CQLQR COUPLES ArthurDressel, Great Neck, and Emory W. Worthington, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.,assignors to R. Hoe & o., Inn, New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application October 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,542

7 Claims. (Cl. 270-) This invention relates to printing machines havinga number of main printing units, together with added color couples.

Machines of this general type have been constructed in a variety ofarrangements. In previous Dressel Patent No. 2,298,094, for example,there is shown a printing press arrangement including a number of archtype printing units together with added color cylinders and reversingarrangements providing great flexibility in operation. in thatdisclosure, each of the added color printing cylinders, which may beincorporated in the original units or added later, cooperates with animpression cylinder of one of the main units, and, hence, an added colorcylinder can be used only with the couple with which it is associted.Provision for added color has also been made by adding one or morecomplete color printing couples, generally located above the line ofmain units, it being possible in such a case to lead a web to the addedprinting couple from more than one of the main printing units. Little orno added flexibility has, however, been obtained by such an arrangement.

The present invention has for its general object to provide, with aminimum number of main units and of added color units, for maximumflexibility in production of different desired products, permitting theplacement of multicolor impressions in desired number upon selected websand upon either side of a web, as desired, for locating the colorprinting in any of various page positions in a product or section, andalso permitting a Wide range of variation as to the distribution ofcolor among sections and in the number of pages in each section.

In the arrangement of the invention, a line of printing units isarranged with a folder at each end, and with one or more added colorprinting couples above the units. Drive arrangements for driving theline of units with either folder or splitting the drive at any pointalong the line of units are provided, together with means forselectively drivingadded color units with either folder. The inventionalso contemplates an arrangement in which a large number of printingunits are arranged in line with a number of folders interspersed atvarious points, provision for driving the units selectively with thevarious folders being made, so as to produce not only a large number ofcolor arrangements within a section, but also a large variation in thenumber of pages within the sections.

A press embodying the invention in a preferred form will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawing and the featuresforming the invention will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a schematic side elevation of part of aline of printingunits andfolders;

Figure 2 is an end elevation showing the drive gearing for one of theunits of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the gearing of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic side elevation of part of a line of unitsutilizing a modified drive arrangement;

Figure 7 is a diagram, illustrating an arrangement embodying a number ofsections such as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 6; and

Figures 8 to 19 are diagrams, illustrating various web leads.

In Figure 7 there is illustrated diagrammatically an ar rangementutilizing a line of twenty-four arch type printing units consisting ofsixgroups, each group containing four printing units, with five foldersA to E, inclusive, interspersed between these groups of units, therebeing four units at each end of the line and four units between eachadjacent pair of folders. There is indicated above each set of fourprinting units two superposed pairs of added color printing couples. InFigure 1 there is shown a typical group of units of the arrangement ofFigure 7 in more detail.

In Figure 7, there are also indicated five different combinations of theunits and folders for producing various products. The first sucharrangement utilizes four groups of five units, each group feeding oneof the folders. In this arrangement, the center two units of the secondand fifth group of the printing units and the center folder are notutilized. It will be observed that each folder receives webs from asingle unit on one side and from four units on the other. The variousadded color couples may print on the webs in cooperation with thesevarious units in a variety of ways which will be indicated later.

The second arrangement shown in Figure 7 also utilizes four groups offive units, but in this case some groups include four units to one sideof a folder and one on the other, while other groups include three unitson one side and two on the other. The middle folder and two units to theleft of this folder, as well as the two units on the extreme right handend of the line, areanot used.

The third'arrarigemen t uses four groups of six units each, the middlefolderC not being used. In this case, each folder receives Webs fromfour units to one side and two units to the other side of the folder.

There are further shown in Figure "7, arrangements utilizing threegroups of seven units each and three groups of eight units each, in theone case each of the three folders receiving webs from four units to oneside and three to the other, and, in the other, each of these threefolders receiving webs from four units on each side of the folder. Itwill be apparent that by providing for the feeding of a web from thevarious units between folders to a folder located either to the right orto the left of the units, and by further providing for the added colorcouples being utilized with the Webs in any of a variety of ways,practically any desired arrangement of sections and of color Withinsections can be obtained. The arrangement of Figure 1 makes provisionfor this.

Referring now to Figure l, which shows a typicalsection of the line ofunitsof Figure 7, the units shown are of the generally known arch type,each including two printing couples. The printing couples are identifiedby the numerals I to VIII. Each unit includes a pair of impressioncylinders '10, 11, together with cooperating plate cylinders 12, 13, the.plate cylinder '12 cooperating with impression cylinder 10 to form oneprinting couple and the plate cylinder 13 cooperating with impressioncylinder 11 to form another.

Unit gear drive The drive arrangement for each unit, which is shown inmore detail in Harless application Serial No. 336,23 5, filed February11, 1953, for Printing Unit Drives, includes a vertical shaft 14 (Figs.2 and 3) carrying a bevel gear 15 which meshes with a bevel gear 16 anddrives a pinion 17, which, in turn, drives a gear wheel 18 and gearwheel 19 in mesh with each other and rotating about the shafts of theimpression cylinders 10, 11. Gears 20 and 23 fixed to the shafts of theimpression cylinders 11 and Ill mesh with gears 22 and 21 fixed to theshafts of plate cylinders 12, 13 for driving the plate cylinders. A11idle intermediate gear 24 is provided for forming a driving connectionbetween the gears 20 and 23, together with arrangements for coupling anduncoupling the gear wheels 18 and 19 to and from the gears 20 and 23, asdesired. Idle gear 24 is movable axially for coupling gears 20 and 23together as shown in Figure 3, or for disconnecting these gears. Withgear 24 slid back to the inactive position and gears 18 and 19 coupledto gears 20 and 23, and hence'to the impression cylinder shafts, theunit will be driven in the forward direction, and impression cylinder 11rotating counterclockwise and impression cylinder 10 rotating clockwise.By uncoupling gear 19 and sliding intermediate gear 24 into the activeposition, the direction of rotation of the couple 10, 12 may bereversed. By uncoupling gear 18, coupling gear 19 and utilizing gear 24,the couple 10, 12 may be driven in the forward direction and the couple11, 13 in the reverse direction.

The arrangement for coupling and uncoupling the gears 18 and 19 is shownin Figures 4 and 5 with reference to gear 19, and comprises a member 25rotatably carried in the gear 19 and terminating in an approximatelysemicircular end 26 which is received in a corresponding recess 27 inthe gear 23 for coupling the two gears together. Turning the member 25by means of handle 28 through 180, rotates projection 26 out of therecess 27 and uncouples the two gears. The specific drive and reversingarrangements for the unit form no part of the present invention andreference may be made to the above mentioned application for furtherdetails thereof.

As is apparent, reversal of either couple of a unit does not involvereversal of the direction of rotation of the vertical unit drive shaft14, simplifying the use of this shaft for transmitting the drive toupper color couples as described below.

Arrangement of a typical section of the line of units The fourreversible printing units of Figure 1 are combined with four reversibleadded color couples i to iv, by means of shafting and clutchespermitting practically any conceivable web lead.

A lower line shaft 29 is provided and consists of a number of sectionscoupled together by clutches c, to a inclusive. This shaft may be drivenby one or more motors for each folder or may be a synchronizing shaftutilized with separate motors for the various units and folders. Bevelgearing 30, as indicated, connects each vertical shaft 14 to a sectionof the shaft 29 and also the vertical shafts 31 for driving the foldersA and B. An upper line shaft 32, also composed of a number of sections,coupled togetherby clutches c to c inclusive, is driven by bevel gearing33 from vertical shaft sections 34 continuing the unit vertical shafts14 and coupled thereto by clutches c to C inclusive. Vertical shafting35 and 36 is provided for the color units i, ii, iii, iv these shaftsbeing driven by bevel gear couples 37 off sections of the shaft 32 andbeing, in turn, broken into upper and lower sections by clutches c andlocated between the color couples 1, iii and ii, iv, respectively.

A cross shaft 40 and gearing 41, 42 connect the vertical shafts 35, 36at their upper ends. Shaft 40 comprises two sections connected by aclutch c,, to permit disconnecting the drive at this point.

By disengaging one of the clutches C1 to c the four main units may bedriven with either folder A or folder B, or the group of four units maybe divided at any desired point, so that one, two or three of them aredriven with folder A andthe remainder with folder B.

Similarly, by disengaging a clutch c, to 0 the upper line shaft 32 maybe divided into two sections, one driven with folder A and the otherwith folder B.

In particular, clutches c and 0,, may be disengaged, driving added colorcouples i and iii with folder A and added color couples ii and iv withfolder B. By engaging clutch c and disengaging clutches c and 0,, (orc,.,) three of the added color couples may be driven with one folder andone with the other.

Clutches c to c are also shown as provided between vertical shafts 14and 34 at each unit. Not all of these clutches will be required, butthey may be provided if it is preferred to standardize the units. Insome cases clutches in the vertical shafting and upper horizontalshafting are alternative. For example, either clutch c, or o may beomitted in the construction shown.

When utilizing the full printing capacity of the group of Figure 1, two,three or four webs may be printed by the main units and the units may becombined in various ways. The added color couples i to iv may be usedwith one of these webs as a group, printing partly on one side andpartly on the other, or printing entirely on one side. Alternatively,one or two of the couples i to iv may pr nt on one web and the remainderon another. Here again, the added color couples printing on a given webmay also print on one or both sides of the web. Since webs may bedivided in various ways between folders A and B, and there combined withwebs from groups of units to the left and right, respectively, of thesefolders, it will be apparent that the number of web leads and productsproduceable is so great that only selected leads can be shown. A varietyof leads illustrating various important features will now be described,referring to the schematic Figures 8 to 19, inclusive.

Illustrative web leads In Figure 8 there is shown an arrangement inwhich four webs W1 to W4 are printed, all webs going to folder B. Inthis case, clutch 0 is disengaged and the remaining clutches areengaged. The uppermost web W1 is led first through main unit couples 1and II and then through added color couples i, iii, iv and ii, printingfirst one 1mpression (couple II) on the bottom of the web and then fiveimpressions on the upper side of the web.

Figure 9, shows a similar lead to that of Figure 8, feeding the fourwebs to folder A, and again printing five impressions on the upper sideof the uppermost web, W4, and monotone on its lower side. Clutch 0 isdisengaged and the remaining clutches are engaged. As will be apparent,the lead of web W4 could be first through couple V11 and then throughcouple V111, instead of as shown, making a lead identical to that ofFigure 8, except for one lead being right hand and the other left hand.Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the point that for every lead there existsalso a companion lead which is its mirror image.

Figure 10 shows a lead similar to that of Figure 8, except that thedirection of travel of web W1 through couples ii and iv has beenreversed, placing three impressions (II, ii, iv) on the underside ofthis web and three impressions (I, 1', iii) on its top.

In Figure 11, the lead of Figure 8 is modified by reversing thedirection of travel of web W1 through couple ii, printing twoimpressions (II, ii) on its underside and four on its top.

Figure 12 illustrates the use of the added color couples, printing intwo pairs on each of two webs. In this case, each of the two webs isprinted four colors on its upper side and two on its lower side, asfollows:

III II I iii IV iv W2: 1 l I VIl VI V i VIII ii The foregoing figuresillustrate the use .of the added color couples printing four colors onone 'side of a web (Figures 8 and 9), two colors on one side and two onthe other (Figure 10), three colors on one side and one on the other(Figure 11), and one color on each side of two webs (Figure 12).

In Figure 13, the group of units is split down the middle, half feedingfolder A and half feeding folder B. Clutches 0,, c and 0, are disengagedand the remainder are engaged. Each web is printed two colors on oneside and four on the other, as follows:

IV i

III II I iii VII VI V iv VIII i As will be observed web W1 has fourcolors on its upper side while web W2 has four colors on its lower side.From the symmetry of the construction it will be apparent that the colordistribution as between the upper and lower sides could be reversed bychanging the lead through the right or left half of the group,respectively, to be symmetrical with the left or right half. i i

Figure 14 shows three webs going to folder B, clutch being disengagedand the remainder engaged. Web W1 is printed four colors on the top andmonotone on the bottom using couples IV, III, II, I and iii; web W2 isalso printed four colors on top and monotone on the bottom, usingcouples VI, V, i, iv and ii; and webWs is monotone perfected by couplesVII and VIII.

Figure 15 shows three webs going to folder A, webs W1 and W3 beingprinted four colors on one side and monotone on the other, with thecolor being placedon the upper side of web W3 and the lower side of webW1. In this case the remaining web W2 is monotone perfected and is themiddle web of the three as they pass to the folder, instead of thelowermost web as in Figure 14. In the arrangement of Figure 15, clutch 0is disengaged and the remaining clutches are engaged.

In Figure 16 clutch 0 is disengaged, the remaining clutches are engaged,and the upper and lower webs are printed four colors in monotone and thecenter web W2 being monotone perfected as in Figure 15. The webs,however, are directed to folder B and the color is placed on the upperside of the upper web W1 and the lower side of the lowermost web W3.

In Figure 17, webs W1 and W2 are printed, the web W1 going to folder Aand the web W2 to folder B, clutches c c and c being disengaged and theremaining clutches being engaged. The web W1 is printed four colors onthe lower side and monotone on the top, and web W2 is printed monotoneon the lower side and two colors on the upper side. As will be apparent,an additional web could be monotone perfected in the couples I and II ofthe unit adjacent folder A, the web being directed to this folder, andanother web could be monotone perfected in the unit adjacent folder Band be directed to folder B. Also, if desired, web W2 could be firstprinted upon by couples VII and VIII and then passed through couples VIand V (couple VI being reversed) for printing additional color on thisweb, if wanted.

Figure 18 shows an arrangement similar to that of Figure 17, clutches cc and 0,, being disengaged and the remaining clutches being engaged. Inthis case, the web W1 going to folder A is printed in two colors andmonotone, while web W2 going to folder B is printed in four colors andmonotone. The direction of travel of the webs through the added colorcouples is also reversed, placing the color on the lower side of web W1and upper side of web W2.

In Figure 19 the clutching is the same as in Figure 17, but thedirection of leads with the added color couples is reversed, giving thesame color on thetwo webs as Figure 17, and applying'itlto oppositesides of the webs. Modified arrangement Figure 6 illustrates amodification of the construction of Figure 1, in which the verticalshaft 34 driving the upper line shaft is eliminated, this shaft 32 beingdriven from gearing at its ends, off the vertical folder drive shafts 31and being broken up by a central clutch c located between the drivegears 37 for the vertical shafts 35' and 36' of the added color units iand ii. Clutches 0,, andc are also provided, sothat the shaft 32 may bedriven with either folder. By disengaging clutches c, and c, andengaging clutches c and o vertical shaft 35' driving added color couplei will .be driven with folder A, and vertical shaft 36 driving addedcolor couple ii can be driven with folder B. Only two added colorcouples are provided but, as will be apparent, further color couples andupper shafting, such as the shaft 40 provided in Figure 1, can be addedif desired. Also as will be apparent, by engaging and disengaging theclutches in suitable combinations, web' leads similar to those discussedin connection with Figure 1 may be provided.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing machine comprising a line of web printing units, a folderat each end of the line for receiving webs therefrom, an added colorcouple positioned above the line of units and shafting and clutchesoperable to drive the said couple selectively with either folder, andindependently operable to divide the printing unit drive at selectedpointsalong the line of units for driving the units to each side of thesaid selected point with the folder adjacent thereto, the said shaftingand clutches comprising a line shaft, means for drivingly connecting therespective ends of the said line shaft to the said folders, gearingconnecting the said line shaft to the said units and clutches in thesaid line shaft between units, whereby disengaging a selected one ofsaid clutches and engaging the others divides the line of units into twogroups, each connected to and driven with a said folder, a second-lineshaft, gearing connecting the second line shaft to the added colorcouple, a clutch in the said second line shaft at each side of the addedcolor couple, and means at the ends of the said second line shaftdrivingly connecting the same to the respective two folders, wherebydisengaging one of the last said clutches and engaging the other,selectively connects the added color couple for driving with either ofthe said folders.

2. A printing machine comprising a line of web printing units, a folderat each end of the line for receiving webs therefrom, a plurality ofadded color printing couples positioned above the line of units andshafting and clutches for driving said couples selectively as a groupwith either folder and also partly with one folder and partly with theother, the said shafting and clutches comprising a line shaft, means fordrivingly connecting the respective ends of the said line shaft to thesaid folders, gearing connecting the said line shaft to the said unitsand clutches in the said line shaft between units, whereby disengaging aselected one of said clutches and engaging the others divides the lineof units into two groups, each connected to and driven with a saidfolder, a second line shaft, gearing connecting the second line shaft tothe added color couples, a clutch in said second line shaft at each sideof the added color couples and between the added color couples, andmeans at the ends of the said second line shaft drivingly connecting thesame to the respective two folders, whereby disengaging one of the lastsaid clutches and engaging the others, selectively connects the addedcolor couples for driving both couples with either of the said foldersand for driving a said couple with each said folder.

3. A printing machine comprising a line of web printing units, a folderat each end of the line for receiving webs therefrom, a line shaft,means for drivingly connecting the line shaft at its ends to the saidfolders, and at intermediate points to the said printing units, clutchesin the said line '7 shaft between printing units, whereby disengaging asaid clutch and engaging the remainder divides the units into twogroups, respectively driven with the two said folders, a pair of addedcolor printing couples positioned above the line of units, shafting forconnecting the couples together and to the folders, and clutches in saidshafting between the couples and between the couples and the folders fordriving said couples selectively as a pair with either folder or onecouple with each folder.

4. A printing machine according to claim 3, comprising also a secondpair of added color printing couples positioned above the first saidpair, a drive shaft connecting the couples of the second said pair anddrive shafts connecting a couple of each said pair with a couple of theother'said pair, and clutches in the last said shafts, whereby the saidadded color printing couples may be driven selectively with eitherfolder as a group of four, or one, two or three of them may be drivenwith one folder and the remainder with the other.

5. A printing machine comprising a line of web printing units, a folderat each end of the line for receiving webs therefrom, and added colorprinting equipment positioned above the line of units, the added colorprinting equipment comprising four printing couples aligned verticallyand horizontally in pairs, a horizontal shaft, a pair of spaced verticalshafts driven thereby and an upper horizontal shaft drivingly connectingthe two said vertical shafts, clutches in the horizontal shafts locatedbetween the vertical shafts and clutches in the vertical shafts locatedbetween the horizontal shafts, gearing for driving the four said couplesoff the four vertical shaft sections above and below the clutches in thevertical shafts, and means for selectively connecting and disconnectingthe first mentioned horizontal shaft sections to each side of the saidvertical shafts to the respective folders for driving therewith.

6. A printing machine comprising a line of web printing units, a folderat each end of the line, a horizontal main drive shaft extending alongthe line, a plurality of clutches in the shaft for dividing the shaft atany of a plurality of selected points along the line to drive'unitsselectively with either folder, 2. vertical unit drive shaft geared tothe main drive shaft for driving each unit, an upper shaft extendingalong the line of units, gearing coupling'the vertical shafts to theupper shaft, clutches in the upper shaft for dividing the upper shaft atany of a plurality of points spaced along the line, an added colorprinting couple positioned above the line of units, and gearingconnecting the said couple to the upper shaft between two of the lastsaid clutches.

7. A printing machine comprising a line of web printing units, a folderat each end of the line, a horizontal main drive shaft extending alongthe line, a plurality of clutches in the shaft for dividing the shaft atany of a plurality of selected points along the line to drive unitsselectively with either folder, a vertical unit drive shaft geared tothe main drive shaft for driving each unit, an upper shaft extendingalong the line of units, gearing coupling the vertical shafts to theupper shaft, clutches in the upper shaft for dividing the upper shaft atany of a plurality of points spaced along the line, a plurality of addedcolor printing couples positioned above the line of units, and gearingconnecting the said couples to the upper shaft at points on oppositesides of one of the last said clutches, whereby one of said couples maybe driven with one folder and another with the other folder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,522,086 Terry et al. Jan. 6, 1925 1,774,772 Tornberg Sept. 2, 19301,805,681 Ball May 19, 1931 2,148,089 Tornberg Feb. 21, 1939 2,160,527Tornberg May 30, 1939 2,231,661 Cline Feb. 11, 1941 2,346,588 LamatschApr. 11, 1944 2,356,160 Horton Aug. 22, 1944 2,425,184 Harless Aug. 5,1947

